Style | Valentina Expressions

High On The Heel

07 Dec 2025 7 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: BrocadeShoes, Fashion, FrenchShoes, HighHeels, ItalianShoes, KingSun, lifestyle, Shoes, ShoesRedHeel, Style

I am addicted to shoes! There, I said it!
I wonder why I keep finding so many women with the same problem. Feet have the difficult task of supporting the whole body’s weight like sturdy platforms, but they are not the prettiest part of the human body. I think, because of that, women want to beautify their feet with attractive shoes. They also care for them with massages and spa treatments. In fact, in Italy, we say “happy feet, clear mind”. If you often have a headache, most likely, your feet are tired and sore, or constricted in the wrong shoes.

When I first arrived in the US, I saw women filling up shopping carts with shoes. To me, that was absurd at least then. In Italy, we bought a couple of good pairs for winter and summer, and that was it. I was new in the country and every custom looked strange or awkward. Still, it didn’t take me long to learn and absorb the culture. Now, I lead the pack of women buying shoes with a shopping cart.
Lately, these colorful brocade ankle boots have sparked my fancy. They lace up in the front through antique hooks. They look like what the French Can Can dancers wore in the 1800th. I bought three pairs. The unfinished wood heels bothered me, the only detail that made these shoes look low-class. My artistic sense told me I needed to paint the heels black. So, I did, I painted them with an acrylic waterproof pen and a coat of varnish. I loved the result, and anyway, these are not shoes for a rainy day.

High heels were not born as the prerogative of vain women. They were mainly intended for men of power in positions of command. They were also made for warriors on horseback. The function was to keep the warriors’ feet firm in the stirrup of the saddle. In the 1600s, King Louis XIV of France, known as the “Sun King” (Le Roi Soleil), designed shoes with red heels. He created them specifically for himself. No one was allowed to wear heels higher than the King’s.

Soon, women fell under the spell of the high heels. The society’s mood of that period was very coquettish and feminine for both men and women. Psychologically, women felt more beautiful in high heels, more attractive, flirtatious, taller and slimmer. Their power was to seduce men to gain power and social status. They started with the feet. Shoe makers started to pay attention to women’s feet. They made very feminine, pointed silk slippers called sabots. These shoes featured small heels. To show the tips of the shoes, furtively peeping out of the long dresses, was sexy and flirtatious.

From then on, we know what happened to women’s shoes. Heels got bigger and chunkier. At times, they became slimmer and taller like a stiletto. Sometimes, heels have become uncomfortable. Still, we will wear them as long as they make us feel and look good. We will keep wearing them even when they hurt. Ciao,
Valentina
https://valentinadesigns.com/services/#fashion-services

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant. She recently certified as a colour analyst/therapist. She is also an author of 6 published books, a storyteller and a longtime blogger. Her books offer non-fictional, practical ideas. These ideas can be applied in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel.
Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble

Time For A Montgomery

07 Nov 2025 13 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #ItalianLifeStyle, Autumn Fashion, Fashion, Frog Coat Buttons, Montgomery Coat, Style

Montgomery is the state capital of Alabama. It is also the site of significant events in the American Civil Rights Movement. But a Montgomery is a piece of clothing. Most elementary school-aged children in Europe wore it to school during the last century. It was considered a garment for preppy school kids, especially in England. In my native Italy, adults and children are equally fashionable. My mom and her sisters were designers and tailors. They dressed us kids as though we were going to walk a fashion runway. We were so cute. Our Montgomery coats, red or blue, were paired with the iconic T-Bar leather shoes, red or navy blue, as well.

The Montgomery coat was seen long before I was born. At the end of the 1800s, the Royal Navy created the Montgomery coat for sailors as part of the uniform. It was made out of duffel cloth, a thick boiled wool, resistant to water. The garment was characterized by frog buttons made of horn, a hood and two large patch pockets in the front. A British general, Bernard Law Montgomery, wore it often in battles over the uniform, hence the name of the coat.

Since then, many actors, singers and writers have worn this coat. It goes in and out of fashion with the mood of the moment. This year is coming back again, and I bought myself a similar version. It only has one frog closure instead of the classic three frogs, and the sleeves are shorter. That’s OK here in California, it is cold only a couple of months out of the year. A thick and heavy Montgomery would be out of place.

Autumn has started and I am happy. Colours in nature are glorious, the weather is pleasant, food is earthy and comforting. For me, this is the best season. Ciao,
Valentina

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant. She recently certified as a colour analyst/therapist. She is also an author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a longtime blogger. Her books offer non-fictional, practical ideas. These ideas can be applied in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel.
Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble

What People Do In The Streets

18 Oct 2025 5 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #CollierNecklaces, #Colliers, #Fashion, #OneOfAKindFashion, #ValentinaCrochetFashion, #ValentinaOnEtsy, lifestyle, Style

Going out the door is a question mark every day. One never knows what will happen or what one will witness. There are pleasant or unpleasant encounters. One can discover new restaurants or stores. Occasionally, one gets compliments from excited strangers. Admiring street performers is another possibility. One can walk at leisure, enjoying spending time relaxing. Others rush to get somewhere without noticing their surroundings and lose some of the street excitement.

A few years ago, I created an extravagant and original piece of knitwear. It was unlike anything I had made before. I needed to place it in my Etsy store. Still, I wanted to collect some reactions from people in the street first. This was a marketing strategy without paying for astronomical strategists’ fees.

I wore it over a black top and went out strolling in one of the upscale towns in my area. I strolled up and down the street. I looked at store windows. I sat at a cafe to pause and show off the piece I was wearing. Then I continued strolling up and down. I received a few curious comments, but nothing told me I was wearing a hit piece. I was ready to leave, almost disappointed that people didn’t react as I expected.

One woman changed my disappointment in a heartbeat. She saw me from across the street. She ran to me to ask where I bought the piece I was wearing. I told her I made it, and that was the only piece I had. Given the knowledge she couldn’t buy it anywhere else, she insisted on selling it to her directly from my body. I acted surprised, but didn’t let her insist too much. We went to sit in a cafe, made the transition and became friends. I never expected to sell it in that manner. I was only looking for strangers’ reactions as a thermometer for my next move.

From that moment on, I created one-of-a-kind pieces, which I called colliers. A collier is a term in jewellery making. It indicates a large necklace piece which covers a major part of the neckline and chest. My pieces are made with yarn and beads, and they fit the description of colliers. Their role is to embellish the neckline and keep the neck warm.
(open the picture to view it larger)

Streets are a theatre for humans to express and act out their lives. Anything can happen, just like in a scene on stage. Ciao,
Valentina
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ValentinaExpressions

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, color analyst/therapist, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a longtime blogger. She was recently certified as a “Color Analyst.” Her books offer non-fictional, practical ideas. These ideas can be applied in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel.
Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble

Elton John and Me

08 Oct 2025 3 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: Elton John, Fashion, lifestyle, Original Fashion, Personalized Fashion, Style, StyleIcon, StyleIconCompetition

Will you vote for me?
A few months ago, Elton John and his partner announced, on Instagram and Facebook, the “Style Icon” competition for 2026. Its main focus is fighting AIDS forever and everywhere. They made it into a fun event tied to fashion. Anyone with a flair for original fashion statements can join.

I sent them some of my photos and forgot about the event. Two weeks later, I was notified of my acceptance into the competition. Now comes the fun. I don’t know anything about my competitors, what their style is or how many votes they are receiving. I know I have been in first place since the start, but that can change very quickly.
The first round of voting started Monday, Oct. 6th and will go to Oct.16th. December will be the final voting round.

I need your hand, will you vote for me?
I hope to make it to the final elections in December. I will need the help of all my friends, family, and acquaintances. Below is the link to vote for me. You can read the program. You can also see photos of me in my personal style that got me into this competition. You can also choose to donate to Elton John’s Foundation for this great cause of helping AIDS patients. Donations are tax-deductible and count as votes for me. Thank you, with love and gratitude. ❤️❤️❤️

https://styleicon.org/2025/valentina-cirasola

Ciao,
Valentina

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, color therapist, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a longtime blogger. She was recently certified as a “Color Analyst.” Her books offer non-fictional, practical ideas. These ideas can be applied in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel.
Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble

The Beauty of Brown: Elegance in Fashion Choices

21 Mar 2025 4 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #2025Colors, #BrownColors, #BrownColorVibes, #Fashion, #OrangeFashion, Style

One of the 2025 colours is mocha mousse, a lighter tone of brown, almost like a cappuccino tone without milk, if you can imagine it. Brown is not a well-liked colour or at least youngsters consider it a colour for mature people. For most people, brown is one of the reliable colours, stable, earthy, traditional, dependent, wholesome and practical. Others might find a negative connotation: dull colour, cheap, unrefined and too predictable.

It is a common belief that combining tone-on-tone with any colour is an exquisite way to coordinate various pieces of clothing for an outfit and brown is no different. It can be paired with beige, white, khaki, camel, lighter and darker browns. I certainly agree with that, as tone-on-tone is easy on the eyes. However, I think that for today’s elegance playing with contrasting elements is more interesting and exciting.

This morning I was feeling the orange vibes, I could have worn the fluffy brown jacket with silver or emerald, but I decided to go with orange, as nature does. Tree trunks are usually brown and might have orange flowers, such as the African Tulip Tree, or the Canna Lily. It was a bright sunny day, it’s Springtime here, I felt to reduce the effect of a winter brown by accentuating the orange and emulating the sun’s warmth.

We don’t always need to look formal, at times we want to be casual-smart with accessories that look almost like they were matched by chance. That’s when we project an aura of freshness and confidence.

Following trends is for those who want to fit in. True style is knowing how to say no to what doesn’t represent us and it is always very personal. Ciao,
Valentina
https://valentinadesigns.com/services/#fashion-services

Copyright © 2025 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, color therapist, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a longtime blogger. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel.
Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble

Layering Jewelry: Mastering the Art for Bold Statements

23 Jan 2025 9 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #Fashion, #FashionInTime, #FashionStatement, #JewelryTrends, #LayeringJewelry, jewellery, Style

Fashion is an up and down of ideas, the old creations become new and the new are archived in a flash until the next revival. Life is a merry-go-round, some go up and some go down. The power of the cosmos inexorably overwhelms us whether we like it or not. Today someone is in command of politics and tomorrow he/she is a perfect stranger. Are we truly influenced by events we create, or are our tastes, thoughts, and actions determined by external forces? What we thought was an established and strengthened way of life, suddenly changed our lives, as it happened with the advent of Mary Quant’s mini skirt, just to name a huge phenomenon that has affected entire generations. Suddenly, long skirts were soon forgotten and showing legs was no longer objectionable.
Fashion is a flag that flies where the wind blows.

Black and white layering.

Orange and green layering.

For a few decades, I have studied women’s jewellery trends. I could immediately tell which era a woman belonged to, by looking at what was hanging from her neck.
One strand of thin jewellery has been a prerogative of millennials, generation Y and Z women. Large and chunky jewellery identified Boomers and mature women.
The Boomer women layered necklaces, and bracelets in quantity and wore rings almost on each finger. They were part of the ’68 movement of the last century, rejecting every constriction, belief and conformism of the previous generation. Boomers connected with nature and boho style was the rage. They favoured large, chunky, statement jewellery, freely mixed stones, metals and other materials.

The new political climate is about bold actions, bold thinking and strong statements. Fashion in 2025, influenced by “the new bold” dictates heavy jewellery layers again, helping you not to be afraid of being seen.

Pearls and chains layering.

Light blue, silver and gold layering.

Layering is an art if done right. For an interesting look, pair the same colours; it’s better to use styles and shapes that complement each other; choose metals that go together with everything and add light to your face. Layering must appear as one creation of a large piece, not put together haphazardly just because you might have a lot of jewellery.

I love to be a maximalist. My personality is too strong to carry delicate, thin pieces of jewellery. I have been a maximalist since my younger days. My wind always blows where I want it to blow, meaning I am not easily moldable.

Ultimately, you do what is right for you and your body shape. Show your personality with your fashion choices, be confident, memorable, and unique. Keep being you. Ciao.
Valentina
https://valentinadesigns.com/services/#fashion-services

Copyright © 2025 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

The Language of Handbags

04 May 2024 14 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #Fashion, #HandbagDosandDon't, #HandbagsLanguage, #HandbagsTalk, #QueenLanguageOfHandbags, accessories, bags, Fashion, handbags, Style

Every woman carries handbags of all shapes colours and sizes, we collect them in the latest style or proudly wear vintage pieces, but does every woman know the language of handbags or their functions?

Every few hours of the passing day requires a certain size of a handbag. The large bags are appropriate for mornings, inside of which anything can be added for every need of the day; the medium sizes are for the afternoons and the smaller bags are for the evenings’ affairs. An evening bag might be added inside the daytime bag for convenience ready to come out at night together with an elegant pair of shoes.

In today’s time is no longer necessary to match the colour of shoes to the colour of handbags, unless one has an invitation to dine with the nobles and the upper class. Today we feel free to combine colours and styles interchangeably with shoes and bags and make creative combinations with the two items. Colours and texture determine the time of the day and the seasonality of a handbag. A yellow handbag is great for daytime but not for an evening event. A black leather handbag is perfect for winter but not for a hot summer.

Like garments, a handbag can embellish or break the body and the whole look. If you are a petite woman avoid carrying large bags, but if you are a tall woman don’t carry the smaller bags, it’s all about the body’s proportion and harmony. The shape of the body also comes into play when choosing a handbag. If your body is sinuous and curvy, choose square and rectangular handbags and vice-versa.

Does the hardware of a handbag matter in the making of your body’s architecture? Does it go with the colouring of the outfit and jewellery? Let’s look at a building designed in classic architecture. We will see a line of rounded top windows on one row and the triangle top windows on another row, then we see repetitions in the same order as musical notes in a refrain. If the hardware of the main door is brass, all the hardware of doors and windows will be brass. There will be people who argue that rules are made to be broken, I agree with that for certain things. However, if harmony in our look is what we want to achieve, those details that make us feel good and make others feel at ease when they look at us, following some basic rules is the way to do it, everything else is fantasy.

Portable bag hooks are a good solution to keep the handbag off the floor when in public places, a pochette or a clutch can always be placed on the lap or in a little space between the butt and the back of the chair.

I found it fascinating how the longest-reigned Queen Elizabeth II spoke with signals using her handbags.
I saw a documentary about her interesting language. The Queen shifting her handbag from hand to hand meant she was finished with the discussion and her aide’s job was to rescue her out of that situation promptly. If Her Majesty placed the bag on the floor, it meant she was not enjoying the chat with the interlocutor, the lady in waiting had to intervene. A handbag placed on the dinner table was a sign that the dinner had to finish in the next five minutes. How an elegant way to say to people “I have had enough of you”!

The handbags featured here are all custom-made by me and sold in my Etsy shop. https://www.etsy.com/shop/ValentinaExpressions

They are made of various materials: macrame’, metallic fabric cloth, metallic string, worsted cotton and much more. The language they speak is the language you attribute to them. Ciao,

Valentina

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel.
Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble

What Did She Teach Us?

04 Mar 2024 3 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #Fashion, #FashionExpressions, #IrisApfel, #IrisApfelFashion, #RedAVoyageIntoColorSecondEdition, dress, Fashion, fashion-design, lifestyle, Style

Fashion’s grande dame, Iris Apfel, known for her sheer brilliance in dressing up, left this world (Aug.29, 1921 – March 1, 2024). She has been called “The Queen of Queens”, The Maverick of Style”, “The Fashion Bird” you name it and all meant she was unapologetic about her fashion expressions. She was a purist of original style and didn’t care to follow trends as she trusted her own taste in clothes.
She combined new with vintage, modern with eclectic style and flea market finds, she had no limit to her fantasy. The most extravagant expression of her dressing up was the jewellery. She knew how to combine bold pieces of jewellery, mixing textures and metals in such a way to always look elegant, full of fantasy, witty and never vulgar.
She was “The Interior Designer” of the White House for eight presidencies, then became a fashion designer and a senior model in her 80s. She has inspired women around the world who love to dress up every day and dare to be different.

In her words:
“When the fun goes out of dressing you might as well be dead.”
“More is more and less is a bore.”
“You don’t have to be beautiful to be stylish.”
“Dress the way you want to feel and not as you feel.”

I searched for a photo of her free of copyright without any results. We all know who she is, I don’t need to take someone else’s photo.

In her honour and the red flamboyant clothes she wore, I came up with this red outfit with a long fringe in the front to elongate my figure. I found it years ago in a fabric store, sold by the yard, I don’t know what it was used for, I bought it to wear on the waist to embellish skirts and pants. This time, I will wear it on the torso and I will go to an outing with friends at a Chinese tea house. I thought the Chinese-style ankle boots made of silk embroidered fabric are appropriate.

Never like today has been so important to get out of the flat massification and become thinking individuals. Thanks for your undiluted love of fashion, Iris, your grace and the inspiration will accompany me. Ciao,
Valentina

House As A Reflected Image Of Yourself | Valentina Cirasola | Interior Designer

17 May 2010 Leave a comment

by Valentina in Home Designs Master Tags: #FurnitureDesign, #Interior, Avaliving, Fashion, Home Fashion, Style

Have you ever asked yourself why some homes designed by architect or designers look so much like showrooms, instead of reflecting the personality of the people living in the home? And why after having spent a boatload of money in the remodeling, the inhabitants of the house might not feel totally comfortable?

Designing a home is the same as having a custom dress designed for our body. A fashion designer or tailor will take in consideration the physical structure of the client, his/her beauty, the color of hair, eyes, and skin; will consider the personality of the client, his/her body language, texture, and proportions. It is just the same when designing a home. A designer should take into consideration all the characteristics of the client’s body. Therefore, that affirmation designers often know how to satisfy their client’s needs, it will never be true, unless a careful study of the client’s body has been made.

(Anne-Marie Gräfin Stadion by anonymous (18th c.)

Let’s see why a house should be the reflected image of yourself?
A man with a rectangular shape, tall and slim, will feel comfortable in a house with high ceilings, doors, and windows proportionally tall and rectangular furnishing with little or no curves.
A woman with a curvilinear body and a small waist will gravitate her choice of lamps and accessories around diagonal lines or A-Lines and her choice of furniture, door handles and architectural details most likely will have a few curves.
A person with an extroverted personality who makes easy friendship will feel comfortable among vivacious colors.
A person with an authoritative job will prefer the “shaded” colors, colors non-better defined, one of them being the “greige” which is the combination of gray with beige. The shaded colors are also described as calming colors.

Any space of the house designed on the occupant’s personal need should take in consideration the height of chairs, counters, dimensions of bathtubs and relate them to the person’s height to assure an easier usage and functionality. I would never decorate a home with oversized furniture if a petite, small person lives there and vice versa.

If we want to take the concept of personalizing a home a step further, walls, upholstered furniture, flooring should also be selected in relation of the color of eyes, hair and skin texture of the persons living in the house.

In a personalized home, a “private corner” for each person should be planned. It is not true that open spaces are always that good. At times we want to be alone with ourselves and it doesn’t mean we love the people in the house any less. The private moment once a day is necessary and the “appointment with ourselves” cannot be happening where there are open space and a lot of activities going on.

(Photo below: Henri Matisse – Woman seated in an armchair)

Gentry Design magazine, a prominent publication in California for designers and creative people featured me again this month.
The kitchen in the picture below is the reflection of my client’s personality and an example of how successfully I have interpreted their body’s proportions in relation to their space. The house they bought was built in the late ‘70s, but the client is a young couple. I had to modernize the house with many contemporary amenities, appliances, and electronics. They are minimalist, love neutral colors and love to meditate. They are tall and slender, the reason why I decided to leave the space open and free of kitchen top cabinets. Their height, the tall ceilings, and tall top cabinets would have looked like a bunch of soldiers lined up. It explains why the kitchen and surrounding areas are all painted in a light golden cream, furniture has been lightly antiqued and there aren’t many dust collectors lying around, only the necessary accessories. Lighting fixtures are also slender and rectangular, placed all in strategic locations to help them in their activities. Simplicity has been the key to this décor, as the couple loves to wear designer clothes with simple, but elegant lines, no frills.

I would like to conclude that we should strive to produce a personalized home, where each space and décor reflects who we are and not exclusively the fashion and trends of the moment. Houses photographed in design magazines are beautiful, well made, some are very intelligent, but they are not ”our homes”. If we copy them, or worse, if we take bits and pieces and transfer those ideas into our spaces, they might not fit the dimension of our body and might not agree with our soul, as all the dresses parading on a fashion runway don’t always end up covering our bodies.

Please forward this article to anyone you think might be interested in reading it and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below. Thank you. Ciao,
Valentina
Interior Designer since 1990
www.Valentinadesigns.com

Valentina Cirasola is an Italian Interior & Fashion Designer, working in the USA and Europe. She marries well fashion and interior in any of her design work. She loves to remodel homes and loves to turn unattractive spaces into castles. Get your copy of one of her books on
Amazon: http://goo.gl/xUZfk0
Barnes&Nobles: http://goo.gl/q7dQ3w